Center plate for cars



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CENTER PLATE FOR CARS.

N0. 571,610. Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

ALBERT O. BUCKIUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALMALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIO.

CENTER PLATE FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,610, dated November17, 1896.

Application leilIebruary 1S, 1896. Serial No. 579,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. BUcKrUs, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinCenter Plates for Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 shows in vertical central section the top and bottomcenter plates constructed in accordance with my invention and fittedtogether. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the bottom center plate; and Fig. 3 isa plan view of the under side of the top center plate.

In the drawings, 2 is the top center plate, and 3 the bottom centerplate. The plate 3 is formed with an annular bearing-face et, a lowerdat annular flange orbearing-face ,and witha strengthening flange G,extending downwardly from the outer edge of the face 4, and the centerplate 2 is formed with annular bearing-faces 7 and S, which match thebearing-faces 4 and 5. The bearing-faces 4 and 5 and 7 and S areconnected, respectively, by

tapering or conicalconnections 9 and l0,which correspond to each otherin shape, and when the plates are fitted together the face 8 bears uponthe face i, the face 7 upon the face 5, and the tapering faces 9 and l0also bear against each other. The plate 3 has a central eye and theplate 2 has a central hub 1l, having a flange 12, which lits within saideye.

le Il are webs by which the plates are strengthened. The transom orblock 13 rests upon the upper surface of the plate 2 above thebearing-face 8, and the hub ll is extended upwardly far enough to bearalso against the transom and to take part of the load thereof. Vhen thecenter plates are in use, they therefore have two broad bearings onhorizontal planes one above the other and also an intermediate inclinedor conical bearing. The consequence is that the plates wear very evenly,they support the weight of the car steadily, and are very durable. It isalso an advantage to have the transom bear upon the central hub as wellas upon the upper plate, for it thus takes up its due proportion of theload and transmits the same to the lower center plate, making thepressure uniform and preventing the tendency to distortion of the topcenter plate which is so common in the case of pressed-steel plates. Thecentral hub ll also forms along bearing and a continuous wearing-surfacefor the king-bolt.

The advantages of my improvement will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art. The plates are durable and strong and have not the disadvantagepresent in many plates heretofore constructed, Which often stretch andbend down, thus spreading the thimble fitting in the lower plate andcausing the thimble to bind against the. walls thereof, so as to preventits proper swivelin g action. 6 5

1Within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims many changesmay be made in the form and construction of the parts, and some of theelements of my invention may be used without the others. If desired,theplates may be reversed,the plate 2 being set below the other plate 3.

I claiml. In a center-plate device for cars, upper and lower circleplates, having annular horizontal bearingsurfaces in two horizontalplanes above and below, and lateral inclined bearing-faces extendingbetween said annular bearing-surfaces; substantially as described.

In a center-plate device for cars, upper and lower circle plates, havingannular bearing-surfaces in two horizontal planes above and below, oneof said plates having an outer annular bearing against the load andhaving also an inner'central hub which extends into contact with theload on the same side of the plate, whereby said plate will receive andtransmit the force of such load uniformly; substantially as described.

3. In a center-plate device for cars, upper and lower circle plates,having annular bearing-snrfaces in two horizontal planes above andbelow, one of said plates having a central hub which affords a longbearing for the kingbolt, and the other of which has a central eye andis unprovided with a hub; substantially as described.

a. Center plates, one of which has a central cylindrical hub in axialline with the eye of the other plate and adapted to transmit to theother plate a portion of the load; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT O. BUCKIUS.

ICO

IVitnesses CLAYTON MARK, Or'ro J. FEELING.

